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31/08/13:Over the coming weeks, a new series of home automation guides will be released, starting with an overview of what you can expect to achieve and the products on offer. This industry is about to explode with new products, features and ideas, and your Mythbox HD can be the glue that brings these products together.News archive

What is this Mythbox HD you speak of?

Ever since the early 2000's, mythbox.co.uk has released a series of guides on how to create a Freeview based Personal Video Recorder similar to Sky+ HD® or TiVo® but without the monthly subscription fees. The Mythbox HD is based on Myth TV and Gentoo, both of which are freely available Open Source software.

Since the early 2000's the market has caught up and released a Freeview HD+ box, so why would you want to build one yourself? The Mythbox has continued ahead of the market to offer:

A richer user experience. The Myth TV user interface is much more appealing, with artwork for recorded programmes automatically downloaded and displayed in menus, and a themeable animated interface which is improved daily

A wider choice of video sources. Why settle for a single video source such as Freeview HD or Freesat HD when you can have the best of both worlds. Have a programme guide listing both Freeview HD and Freesat HD channels and programme information all in the same place, as well as on demand content available from BBC iPlayer and also YouTube which provides content from 4od and demandfive.

Much more extendable hardware. Why throw away your equipment once Ultra HD gets released? What if you realise you want to record more than 2 channels at the same time but have already paid out your hard earned cash? With a mythbox, you can just add another tuner and enjoy. Additionally Myth TV offers you the chance to record multiple channels within the same multiplex, all on one tuner!

Additional cutting edge functionality. New plugins and features are getting added all the time. Since a mythbox is essentially a computer, if there is functionality you need in your home it could be added to the Mythbox HD.

These guides are tailored towards viewers in the United Kingdom, explaining how to get a system up and receiving Freeview HD and Freesat HD streams.

So what will this box be able to do?

The original Mythbox SD offered the capability of being a broadband router, and if required this can still be included. However, given how ubiquitous and simple broadband routers are to use, it was decided not to include this as a requirement for the Mythbox HD. This free's up the Mythbox HD to carry out less trivial tasks. Here is the functionality lineup:

DVD and Blu-ray playback

Given the box has a HDMI port, this functionality is effectively free and requires little
work to setup.

PVR(Personal video recorder)

What the progect is all about - recording TV programmes as well as offering the option
of watching live TV in a timelagged fashion. Advert skipping is also available,
along with an on screen TV guide.

Media centre

Catalogue all of your downloaded music and videos, and playback at the touch of a
button. All video artwork is automatically downloaded, and you can rip your CDs
straight to the Mythbox.

Interet video

Utilise the internet video services that content providers are offering. The internet video
functionality in Myth TV is plugin based, so as soon as new providers are available you can
use them. There are many provider plugins currently supported, including the BBC iPlayer and
YouTube plugins.

Download box

Since the Mythbox is an 'always on' appliance, large file downloads can be set to download
overnight or whenever your internet connection isn't being used.

Video surveillance

An 'always on' Mythbox can be used as a surveillance tool to monitor your home while you're away.
The ZoneMinder package offers a great solution to this, with a plugin available for Myth TV if
required.